The Best Books On Leadership! And A Few More On The Very Good List!

We offer our sincere thanks to you for checking in to this page. Your decision to do so indicates determination to become a leader in your part of society. Our goal in this column will be to honor your trust in visiting, by providing a list of the very best books on leadership.

What you won't find is a generic compilation of titles generated by an AI search response. We've read all of the titles you'll find on this page. That doesn't make us a final authority by any means, but does assure you that we won't be suggesting anything we haven't checked out already.

This has been a theme throughout our website. We're sharing our own experiences along with proven mentors in the wide range of subjects that help shape responsible citizens and accountable leaders.

It's been said many times in several different ways that we learn by reading about the people we hope to emulate. The most insightful authors offer not only what worked but also what failed miserably. Failure is a necessary step on the way to success.

They offer the "why" along with the 'how." In fact one of those aforementioned best books on leadership is specifically about the "why." So lets jump right in with the top list and then some on the list of "very good."

Our List Of The Best Books On Leadership

To be included in this list, the content must offer cutting edge wisdom acquired from personal experience of the authors as well as knowledge gained along the way, following the path blazed by those who came before the authors. The same requirements we all expect from ourselves.

The books on this list will catch the interest of the readers right away and will draw them in to the pages, leading to a better understanding of how the information can be used and shared. In many cases, but not all, these books will have short chapters. Everyone is busy, so if we can read a chapter each morning or evening, we can soak up the wisdom to make every day a winning day.

John Maxwell has written dozens of excellent books all of which feature enlightened content on various leadership and self development topics.

But in our viewpoint the top of the list of best books on leadership must place "The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership" in the first position. It fits all the criteria mentioned in the opening paragraph of this section. Short chapters loaded with impactful information taken from personal experience and years of success, also including why we should follow his advice.

This book will make all the Maxwell books even more insightful because it lays the foundation for better understanding of what you will read in his other literary works.

Next on our list of best books on leadership has to be, "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People." This Stephen Covey masterpiece is one of my personal favorites. We've written extensively about habits, better listening, and the importance of goal-setting.

Leaders are influential and are effective communicators. The title tells you everything you need to know. This book lays it all out in an easy-to-follow format. If you want to be more effective in any area of your life, this edition will show you the way.

All the editors on our team like sports. We also know that sports can be great teaching tools when great teachers are doing the instruction. Our next book was written by perhaps the best of those teachers, John Wooden. The title is, "Wooden on Leadership." I read this one several times when I was much younger. I never expected it to carry with me so long.

Coach Wooden wrote about growing into responsible people who develop skills and a positive mindset to become mentors to other people. He defined success not in wins, although his teams won most of the time, but rather on being the best person when being that best person was needed most, regardless of circumstance.

He wrote about being accountable for our actions and about rolling with the punches to be able to adapt and overcome. Even if you don't think you like sports, you will like this book. You are visiting this website because you are interested in leadership. This edition will help.

There are many similarities between Zig Ziglar and John Maxwell. They've both overcome big challenges in life and become very successful. They've both shared their wisdom and experience with as many people as possible. Having had the privilege to meet both of them, I can tell you they are humble, honest people.

"See You At The Top" is a Ziglar classic. It has been represented as a guide to sales success, and it does offer that, but such a description misses much of the value in this book. As one of the really good guys in the world, Zig Ziglar wrote and spoke of the "why" and how it led to achieving the elusive "what." This short, little book will teach you some new skills and inspire you through tough times.

Next we'll offer a very old book followed by a much newer choice. "How To Win Friends and Influence People" was written by Dale Carnegie back in 1936. Younger readers might not recognize some of the references to that period of history, but the messages are timeless.

Leadership is influence. That hasn't changed in the decades since this old book was first published. Some of the methods might be different now, but the fundamentals are the same. How we treat people, especially when we aren't looking for something from them, makes all the difference in our ability to guide them to levels even they didn't believe possible in themselves.

Now we go from very old to fairly new. Simon Sinek wrote, "Start With Why" in 2009. Much like Stephen Covey, the author put the theme directly into the title. The author asks questions throughout as he leads his readers on a journey to understand why some people can influence large groups of people and some have little impact.

He suggests we always ask why we should do something before wondering how. We keep coming back to "why" because that is the fuel behind any major decision in life. We wrote an entire page about asking better questions. This book will give you more inspiration to focus on the "why." Great leaders not only begin with why, but they keep focusing on that objective as their ability to lead grows.  

You might not have heard of this little book from Dr. Robert Rohm. If you read our page about the four personality types, you will get an explanation of what we saw in person from this author. He did a fantastic job explaining different personalities and how to deal with them, beginning as always by looking in the mirror.

He wrote, "Tales Out of School" as a compilation of short experiences from teachers at various levels. The short chapters are fascinating reading. You will see yourself in many of those situations. This hidden gem is a must-read to understand how to deal with people.

If you thought our last suggestion might be out of place on this list of best books on leadership, you might think the same with this choice. But I've seen the positive impact of Melody Beattie's incredible book in our editorial room. I've seen the turn around from one of my fellow editors.

"Codependent No More" is specific to a certain life situation, but many of the techniques fit our role as leaders who seek to develop more leaders. Sometimes the best results come from the least likely sources.

Our "Hall of Very Good" Books On Leadership

One of my favorite sports writers is Peter King. As a voting member of the pro football Hall of Fame, he had the yearly task of casting ballots on who should be enshrined in that best of the best club.

He often wrote that there should be a "Hall of Very Good" as well. His theory was that there were so many very good players whose accomplishments should be acknowledged and applauded. This next section is our version of the "Hall of Very Good." Every book included is worth your investment in time to read.

Every author provides valuable insight and wisdom for our collective push to become more influential, effective leaders. And like the list of the very best books on leadership, we've also actually read all these books in our own hall of very good.

Any of the follow up books by John Maxwell belong in this group of very good editions, including, "The 360 Degree Leader" and "The 17 Indisputable Laws of Teamwork." He also wrote a series of short little books with a "101" theme, such as "Mentoring 101." We recommend all of them.

Stephen Covey wrote a follow up to his amazing book. This one is titled, "The 8th Habit." If you loved the first one, you'll enjoy this one too.

"The Art of War" by Sun Tzu is considered a classic leadership book in many circles. Don't be misled by the title. The author does write using battlefield tactics, but his direction is unmistakable, even in these modern times.

All the Jon Gordon books are fantastic. The are very short-you can read one in a single day. They tell stories that drive home leadership skills. And they are fun.

Regular readers know of our commitment to servant leadership. It is a recurring theme within our pages. So of course we will include, "The Servant Leader" from Ken Blanchard and Phil Hodges. We've worn out the pages on this very short book.

At first glance, "Life. The Truth and Being Free" by Steve Maraboli might seem like a nice book full of uplifting quotes. Look a little deeper and you'll see some carefully embedded lessons on how to be more responsible and how to be the best version of yourself. Don't miss this one.

Do you have a favorite that we missed? Please share your opinions and your choices regarding the best books on leadership. We value the opinion of our readers and welcome your suggestions.

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